National heritage: Lo Lo people’s ancestral worship

 

 

The Lo Lo ethnic minority group’s ancestral worship was recently recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage. It is also the special cultural identity of ethnic people inhabiting Dong Van Stone Plateau in mountainous northern Ha Giang province. 

The ancestral worship, which aims to acknowledge ancestors, is a beautiful spiritual custom passed down from generation to generation. It is practised by the Lo Lo people only during the Lunar New Year festival and on the 15 th day of July of the lunar calendar.

Offerings to ancestors include one cow, one pig, one chicken, steamed glutinous rice, alcohol and votive papers. A pair of bronze drums, with one representing the male and the other exemplifying the female, is indispensable to the Lo Lo people. The drums symbolise the universe and human beings, and are the embodiment of gods. 

The solemn worship lasts for two and a half days. Young people wearing traditional costumes perform ritual dances to the rhythm of the bronze drums. 

At the end of the worship, the food offerings will be served to thank neighbours for their help. 

The Lo Lo people believe that through this practice, their ancestors will be happy in the after life and give them health and prosperity. 

Duong Thanh Huong, Deputy Director of Ha Giang Museum, said the Lo Lo people’s ancestral worship is a unique custom, connecting family members and enhancing solidarity among the community. 

The Lo Lo population in Ha Giang numbers 1,506, residing mostly in Lung Cu, Lung Tao, and Sung La communes of Dong Van district and Thuong Phung and Xin Cai communes of Meo Vac district.

Source: VNA

 

Co Loa: Special national relic

 

 

The Co Loa archeological, architectural and historical relic site got a certificate recognising it as a special national relic on February 14 

The ceremony was jointly held by the Hanoi municipal and Dong Anh district People’s Committees and Thang Long Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, central and municipal officials, overseas visitors and locals attended the event. 

Addressing the ceremony, Nhan affirmed that Co Loa’s new status was to add historical and cultural value to the relic. 

The Hanoi authorities have been paying great attention to conserving and restoring its cultural vestiges, including Co Loa, in coordination with developing tourism, which promotes Vietnam’s traditional cultural identity, added Nhan. 

For her part, Deputy Chairwoman of the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc requested the city’s departments, industries and authorities to continue preserving and restoring the relic. 

Co Loa is a relic complex of unique architectural and archeological value. The focal point of the complex is a three-round spiral citadel with 16km in length, an outstanding example of Vietnamese and Southeast Asian architecture. 

Co Loa was the ancient capital of the Vietnamese state of Au Lac during the reign of King An Duong Vuong 2,300 years ago.

Source: VNA

 

Green trees make Hoi An ever charming

The ancient city of Hoi An is not only famous for its harmonious relationship between history, culture, architecture, land and people but also for its beautiful green trees.

Despite growing on some narrow streets their colourful stand out almost everywhere.

 

Thang Long Royal Citadel's Tet tourism success

 

Hanoi’s Thang Long Royal Citadel welcomed nearly 20,000 visitors - mostly foreign tourists - in the first six days of the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.Thang Long-Hanoi Relic Conservation Centre Director Nguyen Van Son explained the centre has organised various events since the beginning of the year to attract visitors during the nation’s largest festival.

 The Thang Long Royal Citadel’s exhibition of more than 15,000 bonsai installation art pieces was a particularly popular highlight.

Artisans from over 20 cities and provinces also displayed their bonsai at the Citadel during Tet.

A newly excavated relic site within Thang Long Royal Citadel relic complex recently opened to public, along with an exhibition showcasing the world cultural heritages of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Source: VOV

 

Thang Long Royal Citadel's Tet tourism success

 

Hanoi’s Thang Long Royal Citadel welcomed nearly 20,000 visitors - mostly foreign tourists - in the first six days of the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.Thang Long-Hanoi Relic Conservation Centre Director Nguyen Van Son explained the centre has organised various events since the beginning of the year to attract visitors during the nation’s largest festival.

 The Thang Long Royal Citadel’s exhibition of more than 15,000 bonsai installation art pieces was a particularly popular highlight.

Artisans from over 20 cities and provinces also displayed their bonsai at the Citadel during Tet.

A newly excavated relic site within Thang Long Royal Citadel relic complex recently opened to public, along with an exhibition showcasing the world cultural heritages of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Source: VOV

 

Visiting Phuoc Tich village

Phuoc Tich Village in Thua Thien-Hue Province has retained the features of a 500-year old Vietnamese village, being home to banyan trees, wells and temples.

The village is some 40km north of Hue City. Phuoc Tich was established in 1470 under King Le Thanh Tong. The village is located in the bend of the O Lau River, making the village resemble an island. The village has 12 river wharves symbolising the 12 animals of the lunar zodiac.

A centuries old tree marks the village gate along with a temple. The village is also home to several old houses. The houses are surrounded by large gardens fenced by Chinese tea tree plants.

The homes hold old wooden furniture, horizontal lacquered boards, altars and chests with sophisticated carvings. Phuoc Tich also has dozens of pagodas and temples.

Hanoian tourist Nguyen Thi Pham was surprised by the village’s natural scenery. “I and my friends have visited several old villages, such as Duong Lam in Hanoi and Tuy Loan in Danang, but, only Phuoc Tich retains so many wooden built houses,” she said.

Phuoc Tich is also well-known for its 500-year old pottery industry. The industry was revised in 2006 when Hue Festival was launched. Local residents built a temple to worship Confucius hundreds of years ago to honour their thirst for knowledge.

Phuoc Tich is currently home to 117 households and more than 30 wooden houses which are left in the hands of the older generation to maintain. Over the past 10 years, only 99-year old Luong Thi Hen has cared for her family’s ancient wooden house. She said , “My children are away earning a living. The 100-year old house has deteriorated, and I can’t preserve it alone.”

Truong Thi Thu, 84, now lives alone in a wooden house. Every day, she cleans the house to welcome tourists. She has asked her children to return the village to help preserve the house on many occasions, but they are afraid that they wouldn’t be able to find employment if they returned.

Phong Dien District officials said the local authorities had been promoting Phuoc Tich to both local residents and visitors. The district would focus on repairing some wooden houses and also call for investment in the local pottery industry.

Phuoc Tich was recognised as a national relic in 2009 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, following Duong Lam.

Some photos of Phuoc Tich:

The ancient tree aged between 700 and 800 years

 

The Quang Te Temple displays remnants of the Cham culture

 

A pottery workshop

 

Pottery products

 

A temple

 

O Lau River

 

An old house

 

Hen’s wooden house

 

A screen before an old house

 

Horizontal lacquer board of Duy Tan King (1909-1916) at Ho Dinh Lan’s house

 

 

Sculpture patterns

 

A tour guide instructing visitors

 

All wooden houses in Phuoc Tich were made by artisans from My Xuyen carpentry village which is located south of Phuoc Tich

 

A river wharf

 

Most of wooden houses are taken care of by old people

Run down house

Green trees make Hoi An ever charming

The ancient city of Hoi An is not only famous for its harmonious relationship between history, culture, architecture, land and people but also for its beautiful green trees.

Despite growing on some narrow streets their colourful stand out almost everywhere.